Despite a noticeable decrease in printed correspondence since the advent of Internet, physical mail remains a preferred and efficient communication channel for many customer segments. Letters have undoubtedly more substance than emails and a higher propensity to capture and retain customer attention. Modern output management technology allows the generation of highly personalized documents, but also to make them more interactive thanks to specific barcodes (e.g., barcode symbols), which behave as hyperlinks on paper. After scanning such barcode with a reader, smartphone or tablet, the customer is directed to supplementary information on a product, service or event on a vendor's web site, or to an enquiry form, or directly to an order confirmation page and/or the payment of an invoice.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,829 discloses a system and method for providing automated access to electronic information stored in a database in either a local or remote location. The system utilizes a machine-readable code printed on a document. The machine-readable symbol comprises encoded source data, wherein the source data comprises application launch information as well as file location information. The source data is encoded and printed, and then distributed by the vendor to the end user. The end user then scans the code via appropriate code scanning equipment, decodes the raw decoded data, and the file location information is then used to access the appropriate file. In a preferred embodiment, a Web browser program is launched, and the URL of the vendor's Web site is accessed through the Internet. Additional user-specific demographic data such as the user's name and address may also be encoded in the machine-readable code when the document is specifically tailored for individual targeting, such as mailing labels. This demographic information is uploaded to the Internet Web site for use by the vendor. In addition, the system encodes security data, such as an encryption key, for use in secure data transmissions such as electronic commerce over the Internet.
Amongst these barcodes, QR (Quick Response) codes have become a de-facto standard because of their capacity to encode character strings in a fairly compact manner, and the availability of license-free code generators and interpreters. Additionally, QR codes are easily identifiable by the customer due to their position markers. Indeed, a printed communication may include a variety of other barcodes, which are used either in the manufacturing or the distribution process. For instance control codes and/or mailpiece identifiers are commonly printed as barcodes.
There are several modes of operating an inserter. In the simplest one, the job parameters are fixed and the same tasks are performed on all mailpieces. In a more elaborated mode, corresponds to an open loop production system, each mailpiece bears control codes that are read and interpreted by the inserter (e.g. for adding more pages or inserts). In the most sophisticated (data driven) mode, corresponding to a close loop production system, the mailpiece bears a unique identifier that points to a database where the finishing instructions for that particular mailpiece are recorded.
In the close loop production system, the production software generates a file that contains finishing instructions about each mailpiece that has been printed. As mailpieces enter a processing equipment such as a folder/inserter, their identifiers are scanned, finishing instructions are looked-up in the file and executed. Finishing instructions are typically related to inserts to be added into, or messages to be printed onto the envelopes, or specific sorting conditions. Events linked to a particular mailpiece can be recorded. Mailpieces may also be scanned at the exit of the machine for integrity purposes. Closed loop systems typically require near real-time communication between the equipment performing the work and the computer systems managing the process. This can cause problems during implementation as dedicated local computer networks are required. This adds to the expense and can complicate the integration processes. Closed loop systems rely on the speed of this near real-time communication, with network traffic, distance, and network communication latency having the effect of slowing down equipment or causing it to stop working altogether.
Adversely, in the open loop production system, the production software prints a batch of mailpieces but does not generate a file containing finishing instructions. The finishing instructions are rather included in another barcode which is printed on the mailpiece and can be interpreted directly by the machine. Although they do not require real-time communication and are thus simpler to implement, open loop systems offer much less possibilities in mailpiece customization and have the inherent disadvantages of not providing integrity.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,451,014 describes a mailpiece inserter system including a User PC or computer, a mailpiece inserter and a client server which are network connected to share information and data concerning mail run data. The communication network may be disabled in an open loop control mode to facilitate rapid mailpiece processing and enabled in a closed loop control mode to facilitate tracking, reconciliation and security of mailpiece assembly. The mailpiece inserter includes an inserter control system operative to read and interpret assembly code information directly from the mailpiece content material in the open loop control mode. The client server includes a control system engine operative to receive the assembly code information from the user computer and communicate with the inserter control system of the mailpiece inserter. The bidirectional communication facilitates processing and assembly tracking of the mailpieces in the closed loop control mode.
The dual mode inserter system of U.S. Pat. No. 7,451,014 requires both a mailpiece identifier and an assembly code to be printed on each mailpiece. Other references may also be printed on the mailpiece, either in clear or in barcode format. The appearance of the document may be greatly altered by the presence of multiple barcodes which are not aimed to customers.
Other barcodes can also be added to printed documents or mailpieces to help bank and post office counter clerks process “over-the-counter” bill payments. These barcodes take space away from the message the sender is trying to communicate with the recipient.
Using multiple barcodes on a mailpiece for mailpiece processing and additional barcodes for mailpiece delivery and tracking in the mail stream presents a variety of problems. For example, using different barcode symbologies requires different readers. Another problem with using multiple barcodes on a mailpiece to control mailpiece processing and mail stream tracking operations is that such bar codes make the mailpiece less aesthetically pleasing and reduce the amount of room for other information. Additionally, problems in reading a specific barcode can occur if similar encoding is used in barcodes that are physically close to each other on the printed page. Hardware and/or software readers can become confused, potentially using the incorrect barcode or throwing an error resulting in the stopping of machine processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,755 unveils a method and systems for tracking and controlling mailpiece processing utilizing one or more postal service mailpiece codes. The postal service mailpiece codes can include a United States Postal Service POSTNET code and a PLANET code. Using the same code or codes for mailpiece processing that the postal service uses to track mailpieces in a mail stream simplifies reader design and decreases the number of codes required to be printed on a mailpiece. In addition, the number of different types of readers for reading the codes is reduced.
Using Postal Service codes as mailpiece identifiers indeed reduces the number of barcodes printed on the mailpiece. However, assembly codes may still be necessary if an open loop control mode is selected. Also Postal Service codes are not the most appealing to customers in terms of aesthetics, and still require a dedicated reader to be interpreted.
Despite the sophistication of modern output management technology, there is still a need to produce customer communications that can be highly customized, made more interactive for the recipient and at the same time use a limited number of barcodes for the production control and the tracking of mailpieces.